Category: Amish

I entered this Amish home basement, and a lady was doing the laundry. I almost took a photo with my phone, but instead raced to my vehicle, got my camera, and by the time I returned the lady was finished. The Laundry was not going through the wringer, anymore, but there were still some suds in the other tub. A missed opportunity. Another morning, I was driving down the road with some taxi customers, so I decided not to stop and photograph the scene in the neighboring field! It was a team of six horses pulling a corn picker that was harvesting the corn field. As I have been pondering this subject for weeks, I now forget what the other missed opportunity that happened that day!

I trust that in the coming year neither you/nor I will have too many missed opportunities, whether a photo, or encounters with family or friends!

I am almost certain the washing machine in the photo is an old Maytag which is a standard in many Amish homes!

An interesting 65 year old “Swartzentruber Amish” gentleman! Visiting with him and his wife for at least three hours. I had taken my Uncle and Aunt, two cousins and their spouses to visit them and encourage him, while he is laid up with a broken leg. He had been my Uncle’s hired hand, 45 years ago. They remembered sending him to the neighbors, when their son was born, since it was a home birth, and they didn’t think he needed to be there for that event!! You see my cousin relaxed in the corner, enjoying the conversations which covered many events of the last 45 years, as well as events while he worked for my Uncle! Whenever he traveled home for the weekend, he would sing most of the way home in his horse and carriage, with his small hymn book in his hand. They said they could hear him singing out in the field while working. If he wasn’t singing he was preaching to the horses! 🙂

I kept wanting to get his photo, and finally after two hours I couldn’t resist. I think it looked like I was typing conversation tidbits into my phone, while taking the photo. Actually I had been typing the conversations into my phone, including way too many to write about in this post!

His brother stopped in to visit while we were there, a widower with children, who had married a widow with children. The one had 11 children and the other had 7 children when their spouses had died. In their conversations, they mentioned a 91 year-old lady, who had 130 grandchildren, and 390 great grandchildren. A family tree larger than most folks! Likely family reunions are in the summer under the shade trees, and not at the local Convention Center!